Neil Simon
The playwright who became a one-man factory of American comedy, capturing the neuroses and heart of urban life with machine-gun wit.
1927–2018 (age 91)·American playwright, writer, and academic·Birthday: July 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Neil Simon turned the anxieties of mid-century New York into a universal comic currency. After cutting his teeth writing for television's golden age, he stormed Broadway with an unprecedented run of hits like 'Barefoot in the Park,' 'The Odd Couple,' and 'Brighton Beach Memoirs.' His plays were less about plot and more about the rhythm of human friction—the bickering of couples, the clash of roommates, the tensions within families. While critics sometimes dismissed his work as mere commercial fodder, his ear for the hilarious fragility of everyday life connected powerfully with audiences. He worked with a craftsman's discipline, and his name on a marquee became a guarantee of laughter, making him the most commercially successful playwright in American history.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Neil was born in 1927, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Neil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1927
#1 Movie
Wings
Neil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1927Born
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1932Started school
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1940Became a teenager
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1943Could drive
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1945Could vote
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Turned 21
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1957Turned 30
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 40
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 50
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 60
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 70
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 80
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2018Died at 91
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1991 for his autobiographical play 'Lost in Yonkers.'
- Had four Broadway productions running simultaneously in 1966, an extraordinary theatrical feat.
- Received more Oscar and Tony Award nominations than any other writer, primarily for adaptations of his own plays.
- Wrote the classic comedy 'The Odd Couple,' which spawned a legendary film and multiple television series.
Did You Know?
He wrote for legendary comedians Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner on the classic TV show 'Your Show of Shows.'
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Broadway was renamed the Neil Simon Theatre in his honor in 1983.
His play 'Chapter Two' was based on his own experience of grieving for his first wife and remarrying.
He served in the United States Army Air Forces Reserve, where he began writing for military publications.
“Writing for me is largely a process of elimination. The last thing I want to do is put words on paper.”
